PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Zartan Zatarain (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabilondo Soler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zatarain comes to the ring accompanied by Linkin Park - The Catalyst. Gabilondo Soler has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Zartan Zatarain's chin.

Zatarain
vs
Soler

178 cm
21
184 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

170 cm
29
176 lbs
15 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

BALCO MMA ELITE
Balco Boys - Hilo

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Zartan Zatarain!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Gabilondo Soler!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Vladimir Khabensky and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zatarain shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Soler rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Zatarain counters with a leg kick.
Zatarain throws a half hearted mid kick.
Soler works Zatarain's body with a nice hook.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Soler misses with a wild body shot.
Zatarain misses with a hook
and Soler counters with a right hand to the body.
Zatarain displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Soler throws out the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zatarain throws out a loose jab but Soler uses good head movement to avoid it.
Soler misses with a hook. Zatarain ducked under it nicely.
Soler walks into a left hand.
A big left from Soler misses.
Zatarain misses with a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zatarain darts in and clinches Soler up against the ropes.
Soler is trying to break the clinch but Zatarain is controlling him.
Soler being controlled against the ropes.
Zatarain prevents the takedown attempt.
Zatarain throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Soler drops down looking for an ankle pick but Zatarain pulls his leg out and moves away.

Zatarain scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soler is trying to stand back up but Zatarain is controlling him
Soler trying to control but Zatarain postures up.
Soler is refusing to be controlled, as Zatarain sits in half guard.
Zatarain throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Soler is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Zatarain throwing shots but Soler is blocking nicely.
Soler wants to control but Zatarain is keeping busy.
Zatarain trying to control the action but Soler is working from the bottom.
Soler slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soler wants to get back to his feet but Zatarain is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Soler throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Zatarain pushing down on Soler's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Zatarain is keen to just control but Soler is a slippery customer.
Zatarain throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Zatarain lands strikes from half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zatarain not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Soler manages to get to full guard.
Soler wants to stand and escape but Zatarain is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Zartan Zatarain will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Zatarain misses with a hook. Soler ducked under it nicely.
Zatarain keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A right-left combo lands from Soler.
Soler fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Zatarain looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Zatarain tries to clinch up.

Soler gets a double leg takedown into Zatarain's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soler stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Zatarain swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Soler stays in close to Zatarain's body and controls the position.
Soler passes Zatarain's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Soler is keen to just control but Zatarain is a slippery customer.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Soler seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zatarain is looking to escape.
Soler stalling away here and it's allowed Zatarain to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Zatarain tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Soler is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soler trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Soler trying to control the position from guard on top but Zatarain is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Soler trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Gabilondo Soler hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Zatarain ducks under a wild hook from Soler.
Soler blocks a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soler leaves Zatarain with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Zatarain doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Zatarain is looking to clinch.
Soler misses with a left hand
and Zatarain counters with an inside leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabilondo Soler showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Zatarain's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Zatarain tries to clinch up.
Soler ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Soler lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Soler shoots in for a takedown but Zatarain shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A solid leg kick lands there for Zatarain.
Zatarain stuffs the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soler lands a nice looking body shot.
Soler scores with a hook to the body. Zatarain takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Soler throws a body punch but Zatarain moves out of range.
Soler tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Zatarain was well out of range. Poor timing from Soler.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soler looks to throw the jab but Zatarain is out of range.
Soler looks to throw the jab but Zatarain is out of range.
A decent looking cross lands there for Zatarain.
Horrible takedown by Soler or perhaps it was just good defense by Zatarain which made him look bad.
Zartan Zatarain has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabilondo Soler.
A looping hook to the body misses from Soler. Zatarain does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zatarain looks to score with a jab to the body but Soler is just out of range.
Zatarain tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Soler paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Soler decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Soler trying to pass the guard but Zatarain defending well.

Soler is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soler wants to pass the guard but Zatarain is defending well.
Gabilondo Soler has got the better of the ground game so far.
Zatarain is trying to control but can't.
Soler seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Soler is looking to take a break and control but Zatarain is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabilondo Soler really dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Zatarain thows a body shot but no joy.
Soler misses the shot to the body.
Zatarain waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Soler.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zatarain misses the shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zatarain just misses with a punch to the body.
Soler misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Zatarain.
Soler swats away the attempt to clinch by Zatarain.
Soler stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Soler is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Zatarain rather than just go for the knockout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soler throws a hook to the side of Zatarain's head but Zatarain sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Zatarain connects with an inside leg kick.
A cross from Soler lands.
Soler will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Soler shoots in and drives through. Zatarain sprawls well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zatarain scoring well with a low kick there.
Soler throws a shot from downtown. Zatarain moves away and avoids it.
Zatarain misses with a low kick.
Soler fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Zatarain manages to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Soler misses with a wild body shot.
A punch lands to the side of Soler 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Zatarain tries to score a power double leg takedown but Soler sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Zatarain somewhat.
A big right from Soler misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close fourth round but I would say that Zartan Zatarain will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

A jab from Soler misses.
Zatarain avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Soler keeps the fight on the outside.
Zatarain misses with a straight right.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zatarain throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soler misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Zatarain misses with an uppercut.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Zatarain.
Zatarain misses with a straight right.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
A looping hook to the body misses from Soler. Zatarain does a little dance to reset his feet.
Soler throws a jab but it's blocked by Zatarain.
Soler throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Soler throws a jab but it's blocked by Zatarain.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Zatarain.
Zatarain is looking to land body kicks.
Soler thows a body shot but no joy.
Soler moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soler misses the jab.
Soler swings widly with a right hand

and Zatarain counters with a takedown into side control.
Soler wants to get back to his feet.
Soler is looking to regain half guard here but Zatarain keeps moving and retains side control.
Zatarain lands a nice forearm strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Zartan Zatarain.
I think Zatarain has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight for Gabilondo Soler!
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight for Gabilondo Soler!
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight for Gabilondo Soler!

Gabilondo Soler wins by unanimous decision!
Gabilondo Soler is the new welterweight champion!